The Best New Knives and EDC of May 2020

Editor’s Note: Welcome to The Best New Knives and EDC, a monthly column surfacing the latest knives, tools and any other item worth carrying in your pocket.

If you live in a place where spring has sprung, consider yourself lucky. From our windows in the Northeast, the days are more frequently gray than blue and you never know if a drizzle might turn to snowflakes, even if just for a moment. We’re still clinging to many of our winter layers — down jackets and fleeces aren’t in the back of the closet yet — and crossing our fingers that we’ll be able to test warm-weather gear soon. Luckily, knives know no season; we can ogle them at any time of year.

Recently, Benchmade made a new outdoor fixed blade, Victorinox revealed limited-edition Swiss Army Knives, SOG revamped its branding and more.

Quiet Carry Waypoint

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The Waypoint looks like a straightforward folding pocket knife, but its details propel it far beyond such a categorization. Quiet Carry designed every bit of it to “withstand extreme corrosion.” That goal manifests in its hardware (marine grade stainless steel) but is most apparent in its blade, which is made of a steel called Vanax SuperClean. Not only is Vanax SuperClean highly corrosion-resistant, but it’s also sturdy against wear, which makes it perfect for a knife.

Benchmade Leuku

The most notable characteristic of Benchmade’s Leuku is its extra-long, 5.19-inch blade. The company drew inspiration from the knives used by the Sámi people — indigenous Scandinavians, also known as Laplanders — who take advantage of its form in outdoor tasks like chopping wood or processing game. Benchmade gave its version a sturdy CPM-3V steel blade and a rugged Santoprene handle to handle the same bushcrafting chores.

Victorinox Cadet Alox Limited Edition 2020

Victorinox spruced up its Alox collection for 2020 with a new aqua blue color. Alox, the company’s corrosion-resistant embossed aluminum, takes the place of the plastic handles you’ll find on a classic Swiss Army Knife, and is only available on a small number of models, including the Cadet.

GiantMouse GMF2-FF

The original GMF2 helped establish GiantMouse, a brand that brings the designs of Jesper Voxnaes and Jens Ansø to a broader audience. The new FF model only slightly tweaks the popular design, which now features a full-flat grind and M390 steel.

Resolute Tools X-1

A small cadre of aerospace engineers who design prototype aircraft for a living got together to use some of their spare time to make something a little less complicated: a utility knife. The X-1 uses Grade 5 titanium and aluminum-bronze alloy in a format that’s far friendlier to the eye than any cheap plastic-handled box cutter you’ll find at the hardware store. It does use the same conventional, replaceable blades as those knives, though, so once you buy it, it’ll be good to go for life.

SOG Flash AT

SOG recently updated its entire branding and look, and as part of that initiative, the company updated a handful of its standby knife designs, too. A great example is the Flash AT, an everyday folder that uses the company’s assisted XR lock, which now comes in a bright cyan handle (it still comes in all black, too).

Wesn x Momotaro Micro Blade

There’s a lot to like in Wesn’s tiny, keychain-appropriate Micro Blade, but now there’s a little bit more thanks to the brand’s latest collaboration with a Japanese denim company called Momotaro. Based in the small town of Kojima, Momotaro makes jeans by hand, many of which feature a trademark Line Back Pocket. Those lines carry over to the Micro Blade’s titanium handle as a small reminder of perfection in craftsmanship.

James° × Carryology: The Rover Capsule

In 2019, the bag and EDC fanatics at Carryology surveyed their community with two questions: “What do you travel and roam with?” and “What tools (or combination of tools) do you wish were available?” With responses in-hand, they then approached The James Brand, and the product of that collaboration is a TSA-approved toolkit for life on the road. The kit, housed in a Skinth Solutions 1000-denier Cordura sheath, includes a titanium pen, a knife-free multi-tool that introduces The James Brand’s first pair of scissors and a titanium bit driver. All together, the little kit can “cut, trim, write, pry, screw, stash and crack open a cold beer,” according to the two brands.

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  The Best New Knives and EDC of April 2020

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